TOR | Terms of Reference Guideline
What are TOR?
Terms of Reference (TOR) state clearly the requirements and expectations of a specific assignment or contract for services and outline how it is to be implemented.
TOR are an extremely important tool for achieving effective and sustainable development outcomes. TOR define the scope of work to be undertaken at each stage of the Activity cycle and it is therefore critical that we get them right from the outset.
It takes time to develop good quality TOR to reflect shared understanding of the context, the assignment objectives, the approach and the intended development outcome. Stakeholder engagement is essential in the development of this key document.
The assignment may be undertaken by a contractor, NZAID staff, or a combined team involving development partners and other donors. NZAID may also be involved in developing TOR for Activities using our funding but which are to be led and/or managed by our partners. TOR are an essential component of contract for service documentation and provide a basis for assessing contractor performance.
TOR can be developed at all stages of the Activity Cycle. Assignments can range from specific tasks (e.g. assessment of an Activity report) to multi-year management services consultancies. Although each TOR document is unique, there are a number of common elements in the information to be included and the process to be followed.
NZAID is a New Zealand public sector agency and as such a number of procurement related requirements need to be followed in developing TOR. This guideline identifies when and how they should be applied.